Farming has always been in Dan’s blood. He is a 4th generation dairy farmer, and his family has been operating on the same land since 1941 when his great grandparents began their farming ventures. When asked about what he loved most about being a dairy farmer he responded, “It changes every day and every season. That’s probably what I like most about it, no two days are the same.” He also noted that he loves being able to work directly with the animals and raise his children on the farm. He grew up to appreciate his agricultural background, and he hopes his children’s experiences will do the same for them.
Dairy farming comes with its challenges from year to year, whether it’s milk prices, troubling weather, or the general perception of milk and other dairy products in the public eye. While he can’t control milk prices or the weather, Dan’s goal is to educate a wide audience on various public online platforms in order to debunk dairy misconceptions and other farming myths. As an advocate for dairy, Dan is always prepared to talk to skeptical consumers. One of his approaches tackles dairy’s history “Nutritionally, dairy has been a staple in our diet for 10,000 years,” he says, “and we are where we are because we focused on what’s best for the cow. The reason these cows perform as well as they do isn’t because we’ve done unnatural things, it’s because we’ve put them in a state where their natural being can thrive.”
Many might consider Dan a “New Age Farmer”, one that is active on social media and constantly thinking of new and imaginative ways to educate the public on his farming practices. Dan takes advantage of new ways to share his dairy story through venues like TikTok, which is rapidly becoming one of the most used social media platforms. Known as @iowadairyfarmer to his fans, Dan has reached about 250,000 followers on the platform already. Dan operates his dairy farm and his social media pages with his wife Jamie, who makes special appearances in his short 60-second videos. The content he covers ranges from hilarious farm humor to educational clips about his dairy operation and addressing dairy misconceptions that viewers post in the comments. Dan’s TikTok videos can catch heat sometimes from those who do not support the dairy industry, but his replies remain consistently respectful and educational.
If you are not active on TikTok, Dan runs a farm Facebook page as well, @iowadairyfarmer, where he posts his content in order to share his story and educate an even broader audience. Check him out on both platforms!